Projectile



W. T. MOORE PROJECTILE Filed-Jan. 15, 1941 Dec. 26, 1944.

x I a" I! Patented Dec. 26, 1944 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE PROJECTILE Wiley T. Moore, United States Army, Laverne, Okla.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 3 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to projectiles in general, and in particular to small arms explosive or incendiary bullets. In this type of bullet, econom of space and cost of manufacture prohibit the used of the more complicated fuse structures. The present invention deals with a unitar type of firing mechanism having an inertia firing member, which mechanism is safe, simple in nature, low in cost and easy to manufacture and assemble.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to produce a simplified firing mechanism including primer and striker for incendiary or explosive bullets and the like which mechanism is contained in a single unit for insertion into the bullet.

It is a further object of this invention to pro duce a self-contained mechanism for small arms and medium projectiles comprising a primer and a striker wherein said striker is a free inertia member. It is a further object of this invention to produce a self-contained firing mechanism comprising a primer and a striker for small arms and medium projectiles wherein the striker member is an inertia member normally held immobilized by the priming material.

It is a further object of this invention to produce a self-contained firing mechanism comprising a primer and a striker for small arms and medium projectiles wherein said striker memher is an inertia member normally held immobilized by the containing medium.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification. I

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a projectile showing the self-contained firing unit in place,

Figures 3 and 5 are similar views of modifications, and

Figures 2, 4 and 6 are longitudinal sectional views of modifications of the firing units.

Referring to the drawing by characters of ref erence there is shown in Figure 1 a projectile body I enclosed by a rifiing jacket 2 having a front portion 3 forming the nose of the bullet. It will be understood that this particular arrangement may be varied in the employment of the invention. For instance, the nose portion may be a part, integral or otherwise, of the body portion as in the usual case. and the projectile may be unjacketed. The nose portion may be so designed as to permit loading from that end.

A central bore 6 is provided in the bod I for explosive or incendiary material or the like.

The nose portion 3 is provided with an axial cavit 9 designed to receive the firing unit. The firing unit consists of a capsule [D which may be of metal or organic material such as the syn thetic resins or both, and part or all of the capsule may be transparent. The capsule of Figure 1 is composed of two telescoped parts and in such case one part may be of metal and the other of plastic, transparent or otherwise. This would afford ready inspection of the interior at any time in storage and prior to loading into the bullet.

As shown in Figure 1, one section of the capsule contains the packed priming material H while the inertia member, shown in this instance as a steel sphere i2, is held loosely in the other section. The total mass of the in ertia member is so small and the density of packing of the priming material is of such degree that ordinary handling will not detonate the primer. However, at bullet velocities the momentum of even a small mass is of considerable magnitude, and the stoppage of the projectile will serve to fire the primer. The priming material may or may not be covered with a piece of shellacked paper or the like, as in the conventional primers in the cartridge art.

Figure 2 shows a modification of a primer wherein the inertia member 2 is partly embedded in the detonating material II. This form will increase the safety by restraining the peregrinations of the inertia member prior to firing impact. In all cases, the portion of the capsule containing the inertia member is preferably non-metallic, but it is understood that it may also be metallic, with or without a butler coating inside to prevent metal to metal contact, such as shellac Or the like, if such be desirable.

In Figure 3 is shown another form of capsule composed of a single piece I3 although it is understood that this and any other modification of the capsule may be made of separate telescoping pieces if desirable. The inertia member I4 is shown as panduriform in longitudinal secessary as the detonating wave is sufiicient to set off the main charge. On the forward part of the member [4 is a protuberance or teat i6 for detonating engagement with the priming H.

The specific form of the inertia member l4 shown I is not to be deemed as limiting, since'any form of member will lie within the concept of. this species of the invention wherein the inertia member has a configurationdesigned for interengagement with the containing capsule. The capsule i3 is shown as crimped at H over the firing member M to hold the latter in the capsule, but punching l5 may suflice for this purpose and the crimp IT may be omitted. Ihe punched portion may or may not be sealed off with shellac or other material.

- In Figure 4, a firing unit similar to that of Figure. 3 is shown, but with the inertia member [4: partially embedded in the priming Ii, as in the case of Figure 2 v In Figure 5 a spherical inertia member [2 is contained in a capsule 18 of the general type shown in Figure 3 and is restrained from contacting the pricrning H by an inwardj'dimple l9. The sphere may be held loosely or tightly by the dimple. I g

In Figure 6 thesphere i2 is'shown partly embedded in the priming and with an alternative form of restraining member consisting of a punched portion 20 in the wall of the capsule. The necked portion 2! of the lower part of the "capsule in Figure 1 may also be dimpled, punched or otherwise modified to offer a barrier between the inertia member and the priming in ordinary handling, but which will yield on firing impact.

The main problem solved by the projectile of this invention is one of assembly. In prior art explosive bullets, the priming had to be packed into a complete bullet whereas in the present case this loading is performed on a separate, capsule and the latter simply placed into the bullet at will. They may thus be stored prior to assembly, and defective loadings are more easily deconsequences ensue therefrom.

I claim: I

l". A projectile comprising a main charge and a separate firing component, said firing component comprising an elongated tubular capsule, a detonating charge transversely fixed in the forward end of said capsule, a discrete inertia striker carried in the rear end of said capsule and spaced from said detonating charge, said tected, and less expensive and time-consuming vassigns jectile, said stop member being outwardly deformable by pressure of said striker thereagainst during forward movement of said striker upon impact of said projectile with a target to release said striker for further forwad movement against said detonating charge. I

2. A projectile comprising a main charge and a separate firing component, said firing component comprising an elongated tubular capsule.

closed at its forward end, a detonating charge transversely fixed in the forward end of said capsule, a discrete inertia striker being a solid of revolution generally panduriform inv axial section carried in the rear end of said, capsule and spaced from said detonating charge, said capsule providing a substantially free cylindrical space between said striker and said detonating charge, longitudinal fingers continuous with the wall of said capsule engaging the rear portion of said striker confining said striker in the rear part of said capsule, and out of contact with said detonating charge in ordinary handling and during free flight of the projectile, said fingers bein outwardly deformable by pressure of said striker thereagainst during forward movement of said striker upon impact, of said projectile'with a target to release said :strikerv for further forward movement against said detonating charge.

3. A projectile comprising a main charge and a separate firing component, said firing compo nent comprising an elongated tubular capsule closed at its forward end, a detonating charge transversely fixed in the forward end of said capsule, a discrete spherical inertia striker carried in the rear end of saidcapsule and spaced from said detonating charge, said capsule providing a substantially free cylindrical space between said striker, and said detonating charge an inwardly projecting dimple formed in the wall of said capsule between said striker and said detonating charge confining said striker in the rear part of said capsule and out of contact with said setonating charge in ordinary handling and during free flight of the projectile, said dimple being outwardly deformable by pressure of said striker thereagainst during forward movement of said striker upon impact of said projectile with a target to release said striker for further forward movement against said detonating. charge.

WILEY T. MOORE. 

